[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 97 (Thursday, June 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1207-E1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
1996 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS
______
HON. DAN BURTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 27, 1996
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, every year, the National Ethnic
Coalition of Organizations honors Americans from all ethnic backgrounds
with its Ellis Island Medal of Honor. This year, I was deeply honored
to be one of the recipients of this prestigious award.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of this
year's honorees. It is a distinguished group of Americans, including my
colleagues, Senator Spencer Abraham, Congressmen Ben Gilman, Ray
LaHood, Tom Manton and Charlie Rangel.
The Ethnic Coalition of Organizations is dedicated to pursuing
harmony between all ethnic groups. This is a goal which I applaud. I
would like to enter into the Record a press release announcing these
awards, and a list of these distinguished award recipients.
Ellis Island Medals of Honor Awards Gala
the 10th annual ellis island medals of honor awards ceremony--neco
chairman william denis fugazy leads dramatic ceremony dedicated to late
medal recipient, congresswoman barbara jordan
Ellis Island, NY, May 19.--Standing on the hallowed grounds
of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million
immigrants entered the United States--a cast of ethnic
Americans who have made significant contributions to the life
of this nation, among them Gov. George E. Pataki, U.S. Rep.
Charles B. Rangel, NYC Police Commissioner Howard Safir, and
``street singer'' Arthur Tracy, today were presented with the
coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor at an emotionally
uplifting ceremony.
NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island
in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of
ethnic pride. This year's 10th annual event was dedicated to
the memory of U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, a 1990 Ellis Island
Medal recipient, who recently passed away.
Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, Pataki, Rangel,
Safir, Tracy, and other Ellis Island Medal of Honor
recipients, including Baltimore Orioles baseball team owner
Peter Angelos, entertainer Jerry Vale and NAACP President
Hazel Dukes, among others, received their awards in the
shadow of the historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps
were taken by the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S.
in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
``Today we honor great ethnic Americans who, through their
achievements and contributions, and in the spirit of their
ethnic origins, have enriched this country and have become
role models for future generations,'' said NECO Chairman
William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we honor the immigrant
experience--those who passed through this Great Hall decades
ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on American soil
seeking opportunity. Everyone came here with little more
[[Page E1208]]
than the clothes on their backs. But all they needed was hope
and opportunity.''
Mr. Fugazy added, ``It doesn't matter how you got here or
if you already were here. Ellis Island is a symbol of the
freedom, diversity and opportunity--ingredients inherent in
the fabric of this nation. Although many recipients have no
familial ties to Ellis Island, their ancestors share similar
histories of struggle and hope for a better life here.''
One of the emotional high points of the day came when the
words spoken at the 1990 event by the late Congresswoman
Barbara Jordan, one of the first African-Americans to accept
the Ellis Island medal, were replayed over the public address
system after this year's ceremony was dedicated to her
memory. Mr. Fugazy recalled how the ailing Jordan flew to New
York, dramatically arriving in a wheelchair with a team of
medical personnel.
Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of
Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise
America's unique cultural mosaic. To date, some 500 ethnic
American citizens and native Americans have received medals.
NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S.,
serving as an umbrella group for 75 ethnic organizations and
whose mandate is to preserve ethnic diversity, promote ethnic
and religious equality, tolerance and harmony, and combat
injustice, hatred and bigotry.
Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients are selected each
year through a national nomination process. Screening
committees from NECO's member organizations select the final
nominees, who are then considered by the Board of Directors.
Among this year's recipients were Michigan Senator Spencer
Abraham; members of the U.S. Congress Thomas Manton, Benjamin
Gilman, Danny L. Burton, and Ray Lahood; Justices Anthony
Celebrezze and Damon J. Keith; Sam DiPiazza (Vice Chairman,
Coopers & Lybrand); Rabbi Marc Schneier; ASPCA President
Roger Caras; WCBS News executive Jerry Nachman; Christopher
Komisarjevsky (Burson-Marsteller USA President); Air Force
Major General Marcelite J. Harris, and Air Force Lieutenant
Colonel William Gregory (astronaut); and former New York Mets
Manager Jeff Torborg. (Please refer to media kit insert for a
complete list of 1996 honorees and previous recipients.)
Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients have included
several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes,
entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executive such
as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George Bush,
Richard Nixon, Mario Cuomo, Christine Todd Whitman, Bob Hope,
Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan, Coretta Scott
King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle,
General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters, Terry Anderson
and Dr. Michael DeBakey.
congratulations to the 1996 ellis island medal of honor recipients
Hon. Spencer Abraham, Lebanese, United States Senator;
Sarkis Acopian, Armenian, Conservationst; Hon. Wendell R.
Anderson, Swedish, Community Leader; Peter Angelos, Esq.,
Hellenic, Attorney; Robert Annunziata, Italian, Business
Leader; Nicola M. Antaki, Syrian, Business Leader; Carl J.
Bazarian, Armenian, Community Leader; Martin S. Begun,
Russian, Educator/Community Leader; Bruce Bendell, Eastern
European, Buisness Leader; James M. Benson, Swe/Eng/Ire/Scot/
Ger/Fr, Business Leader; Kenneth Berg, Russian, Business
Leader; A. Steve Betzelos, Hellenic, Business/Community
Leader; Lena Biorck Kaplan, Swedish, Community Leader; W.
Paul Brogowski, Polish, Business Leader; Hon. Dan Burton,
Welch, Member of Congress; John J. Cali, Italian, Business
Leader; Roger A. Caras, Eastern European, Author; John A.
Cavanagh, Irish, Business Leader; Hon. Anthony Celebrezze,
Italian, U.S. Circuit Court Judge; Andreas D. Comodromos,
Cypriot, Business/Community Leader; Anthony D. Dalesandro,
Italian, Business Leader; Tarik S. Daoud, Arabic, Business/
Community Leader; Ruda B. Dauphin, Polish, Media Director;
Bettie Dawood, Lebanese, Business/Community Leader; Countess
Nadia de Navarro-Farber, Bulgarina, Real Estate Developer;
Jean-Jacques de Saint Andrieu, French, Business Leader; Hon.
Dennis DeConcini, Italian/English, United States Senator
(Ret); Ramon Abi-Rashed DeSage, Lebanese, Industry Leader;
Fernando M. DeSousa, Portuguese, Community Leader; Federick
W. Devine, Irish, Labor Leader; Richard ``Bo'' Dietl, German/
Italian, Business Leader/Author; Nicholas P. DiPaolo,
Italian, Business Leader.
Samuel A. DiPiazza, Jr., Italian, Business Leader; Hazel N.
Dukes, African, Community Leader; Most Rev. John A. Elya,
Lebanese, Religious Leader; Hon. Albert J. Emanuelli,
Italian, Justice, New York State; Michael D. Francis, Esq.,
Austrian/Russian, Business Leader; Mario J. Gabelli, Italian,
Business Leader; Hon. Benjamin Gilman, Member of Congress;
Joesph J. Grano, Jr., Italian, Business Leader; George L.
Graziadio, Italian, Business Leader; Lt. Col. William Gregory
Albanian, Astronaut; Eugene P. Grisanti, Polish/Italian,
Business Leader; Nahum Guzik, Russian, Business Leader; John
Kaare Hagen, Norwegian, Business Leader; Antoine C. Harovas,
M.D., Hellenic, Physician; Maj. Gen. Marcelite J. Harris,
African, Government Leader (Military); John E. Herzog,
Hungarian, Business Leader; Arthur E. Imperatore, Italian,
Business Leader; Joseph P. Jarjura, Lebanese, Business/
Community Leader; Norman Katz, German, Business Leader;
Joseph Kazickas, Lithuanian, Business Leader; Hon. Damon J.
Keith, African, Circuit Judge; John J. Kelly, Irish, Business
Leader; Christopher Komisarjevsky, Russian, Business Leader;
Murray Koppelman, Polish/Russian, Community Leader; Leo Paul
Koulos, Hellenic, Business Leader; Hon. Ray Lahood, Labanese,
Member of Congress; Carmella La Spada, Italian, Humanitarian;
Bennett S. LeBow, Eastern European, Business Leader; Daok
Lee, Korean, Educator/Community Leader; Anthony Lomangino,
Italian, Business Leader; Hon. Thomas J. Manton, Irish,
Member of Congress; Scrafin U. Mariel, Puerto Rican,
Business/Community Leader.
Charles H.McCabe, Jr., Irish, Business Leader; Paschal
McGuinness, Irish, Labor Leader, Brian McLauhlin, Irish,
Labor Community Leader; Dennis McSpedon, Irish, Labor Leader;
Haroutine Mekhjian, M.D., Armenian, Cardiac Surgeon/Community
Leader; Spiros Milonas, Hellenic, Business Leader; Luis A.
Miranda, Jr., Puerto Rican/Latino, Educator/Community Leader;
Hugo M. Morales, M.D., Hispanic, Eductor/Community Leader;
Thomas J. Moran, Irish/Italian, Business Leader; Bruce A.
Morrison, Irish, Government/Community Leader; James H.
Moshovitis, Hellenic, Business Leader; Jerome A. Nachman,
Rumanian/Russian, Journalist; Dr. Julius R. Nasso, Italian,
Business Leader; Ricahrd T. Nasti, Italian, Business Leader;
Vincent Natrella, Italian, Community/Political Leader; Paul
Nussbaum, German, Business/Community Leader; Harry L. Pappas,
Hellenic, Business Leader; Hon. George E. Pataki, Hungarian/
Irish/Italian, Governor--State of New York; Ludovit Pavlo,
M.D., Slovak, Physicial/Community Leader; John A. Payiavlas,
Hellenic, Business Leader; Maryanne K. Peneachio, Polish,
Hoeaker; Fammioe Petallides-Holiday, Cypriot, Business/
Community Leader; Joseph, M. Pizza, Italian, Business Leader;
William F. Plunkett, Jr., Esq., Irish, Attorney; Hon. Charles
B. Ragnel, African, Member of Congress; Kiewoong Walter Rhee,
Korean, Community Leader; Nicholas L. Ribis, Italian,
Business Leader; Joe E. Rodriguez, Puerto Rican, Business
Leader; Mauro C. Romita. Italian, Business Leader; Jack
Rosen, Easter European, Business Leader.
Rustum Roy, Asian Indian (East), Educator/Researcher/
Author; Hon. Howard Safer, Russian, New York City Police
Commissioner; Louis P. Salvatore, Italian, Business leader;
S. Gary Schiller, Austrian/German, Community Leader; Rabbi
Marc Schneier, Viennese, Religious/Community Leader; Martin
E. Segal, Russian, Business Leader/Patron of the Arts; John
T. Sharkey, Irish, Business Leader; Steven H. Shepsman,
Eastern European, Business Leader; Rolland G. Smith,
Genglish/Irish, Journalist; John L. Soldini, Italian/Irish,
Educator/Labor Leader; Hon. Nicholas A. Spano, Italian, New
York State Senator; Sonja B. Stefanadis, Hellenic, Community
Leader; Robert M. Stutman, Russian Business Leader; Philip
Suarez, Puerto Rican, Business Leader; Lou Switzer, African,
Business Leader; Rosemarie Taglione, Danish/Italian, Business
Leader; Joseph H. Talfour, Sr., Slovak, Attorney, Business/
Community Leader; Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Scottish, Architect;
Raymond C. Teatum, Irish, Public Official; Fred S. Teng,
Chinese, Business/Community Leader; Dr. Nick John Topetzes,
Hellenic, Educator/Community Leader; Jeffrey A. Torborg,
Swedish/German/English, Major League Baseball Plaoyer, Coach,
Manager, Broadcaster; Arthur Tracy, Russian, Entertainer
``The Street Singer''; Pauline Trigere, French, Business
Leader; Jerry Vale, Italian, Singer/Entertainer; Dennis R.
Washington, Norwegian, Business Leader; John S. Wilcha,
Czecholsovakian, Business Leader; Dr. John D. Young, Chinese,
Business Leader; Brad Zackson, Rumanian/Russian, Business
Leader.
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